Orbiting rolling display



@% B968 5%. g. DUDLEY ORBITING ROLLING DISPLAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1966 m INVENTOR. K0515 5. DULZE) Oct. 22, 1968 R. E. DUDLEY ORBITING ROLLING DISPLAY 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1966 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. DUDLEY ATTORNEY United States Patent C) 3,406,473 ORBITING ROLLING DISPLAY Robert E. Dudley, Bellevue, Wash., assignor of one-third each to Richard M. 'Iracey, Seattle, Wash., and Gerald R. Brunstrom, Dalkeith, Western Australia, Australia Filed Apr. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 540,319 9 Claims. (Cl. 40-34) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A disk is rotatively mounted on the horizontal leg of a dead cantilever axle of elbow shape the upright leg of which supports the horizontal leg. The upright leg is mounted concentrically of a turntable the surface of which is engaged by the rim of the disk. Common drive means turn the upright leg of the elbow axle about its own axis and the turntable in opposite directions so that the disk rolls on the turntable. Alternatively, the surface engaged by the disk edge is stationary and the upright leg of the axle is translated along the surface alternately in a linear path and in a curved path to complete a loop along which the upright leg is moved with the rim of the disk in engagement with the surface to effect rotation of the disk. The horizontal leg is swung correspondingly as the upright leg moves in the curved portions of its path.

This invention relates to a display in the form of a disk bearing indicia which rolls along either a fixed or a movable surface.

It is well known that in display advertising motion tends to attract attention, and the more unique the motion is, the more attention will be attracted. Still greater attention is attracted to a display if it is not immediately evident to an observer how the particular movement is accomplished because the curiosity of the observer will be aroused and he will speculate in his mind as to how the movement is accomplished. Such speculation will obtain the attention of the observer and this is the ultimate objective of display advertising.

A principal purpose of the present invention is to provide a unique type of movement for a display and more particularly, a display carrier in the form of a disk which rolls along a surface without readily visible means for supporting the disk. In other Words, the disk has a freerolling appearance.

An additional object is to effect travel of such a rolling disk along a surface which itself is moved in the direction opposite that in which the disk moves, so as to provide a compound display movement. A more specific object is to coordinate the translation of the rolling disk and the movement of the surface on which the disk rolls.

Another object is to provide simple but effective supporting means for a rolling disk display which will effect movement of the disk in an orbit, but which supporting means will be hidden from view by observers or can be obscured by use of proper coloring, for example.

It is also an object to provide an orbiting rolling display which can readily be adapted to installations of different type and size and which can be driven by different types of drive mechanism, so that an appropriate drive mechanism can be selected for the particular type of display installation.

A display capable of accomplishing the foregoing objects may include an indicia-bearing disk or comparable rotating members. The upright leg of a cantilever dead axle of elbow shape carrying the disk may be extended either up or down and may be rotated about its axis to swing the horizontal leg of the elbow for moving the disk orbitally. The translational movement of the disk and the movement of the disk-engaging surface may be synchronized if desired. While the orbit through which the disk is translated by rotation of the upright leg of the elbow is circular, the orbit may be of other desired shape by moving the upright leg in another fashion such as by moving it linearly for a distance, then swinging it through a partial turn, moving it linearly through a further stretch, again swinging it through an angle and repeating such maneuvers as may be necessary or desirable to move the disk through a loop and return it periodically to a starting position.

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective of a representative type of display installation, and FIGURE 2 is an elevation of such an installation with parts broken away to reveal internal structure.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section through a display disk and disk-engaging surface.

FIGURE 4 is a top perspective of an alternative type of display mechanism, and FIGURE 5 is a central vertical section through such display mechanism.

FIGURE 6 is a top perspective of still a different form of the display mechanism. FIGURE 7 is a top perspective of one portion of the display mechanism shown in FIGURE 6 on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 8 is an elevation of a display disk and immediately associated components showing a different type of construction which can be used in a display arrange 'ment of the general type shown in FIGURE 6, and FIG- URE 9 is a section taken on line 99 of FIGURE 8.

The rolling disk display can be embodied in various types of installations of which several typical installations are shown in the drawings. Moreover, such installations can be small or large. The most important common characteristic of all of these displays is that a disk or comparable rotating member carrying indicia apparently rolls freely along a surface which itself either moves in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the disk or is stationary. If the disk-engaging surface moves it also should bear indicia to catch the attention of an observer. The indicia on the disk may, for example, represent a coin, so that its movement would simulate a large coin rolling along a surface.

The typical installation shown in FIGURE 2 is enclosed so that it can be located within reach of observers with out such observers being able to investigate or tamper with the mechanism except for such investigation as might be afforded by visual inspection. In this device the disk 1 has a rim 2 of friction material which can roll along the marginal portion of a turntable 3. The disk is rotatively mounted on supporting means including a horizontal leg 4 of a cantilever dead axle of elbow shape having an upright leg 5 which supports the horizontal leg in cantilever fashion.

The upright supporting leg 5 of the elbow axle extends upward through a horizontal partition or ceiling 6 of the casing 7. Such casing may be of transparent material and is supported by a base 8. The partition 6 preferably is opaque and carries drive mechanism for rotating the upright leg 5 of the elbow axle about its axis. Such drive mechanism includes an electric motor 9 and speed reduction gearing 10 interposed between such motor and the upright axle leg 5.

The turntable 3 is mounted for rotation by an upright spindle 11 located such that its axis coincides with the axis of the upright leg 5 of the elbow axle. Such spindle is journaled in a supporting platform 12 received within the casing 7. Such platform carries the drive mechanism for the turntable spindle including an electric motor 13 and speed reduction gearing 14 interposed between and connecting such motor and the turntable spindle 11. Preferably, the motor 13 and gearing 14 are arranged with relation to the motor 9 and gearing 10 driving the upright leg 5 of the elbow axle so that the horizontal leg 4 of such axle will be turned about the axis of leg and I spindle 11 in one direction and the circumference of the turntable 3 will be turned in the opposite direction.

The periphery of the turntable 3 carries a circumferential flange preferably in the form of a depending skirt which carries indicia. Such indicia may be in the form of a printed band legend extending circumferentially along the skirt so that if the turntable 3 is rotated in a direction such that the portion of the skirt viewed by an observer moves from his right to his left he can read the legend with ease. The disk 1, on the contrary, would be moved from the left to the right of the observer and its outer surf-ace 16 would bear indicia, such as the insignia of one side of a coin, which would rotate about the axis of the horizontal leg 4 as the disk is translated along the margin of the turntable.

As has been mentioned above, it is often desired to obscure from the observation of an observer the particular mechanism which effects movement of the disk 2 so that it will appear to the observer to be free rolling. The drive mechanism for the turntable 3 is hidden by the skirt 15 depending below the top of the platform 12 within which the drive mechanism for the turntable spindle is located. The horizontal leg 4 to the swinging end of which the disk 1 is attached, is disposed coaxially of the disk so that when the disk is in a position such that an observer is looking at its face 16 he cannot see the horizontal leg of the axle which is hidden behind the disk. As the disk moves sufficiently to expose the axles horizontal leg, such leg and the upright leg 5 of the axle may largely be obscured by making the transparent casing 7 of tinted transparent material and coloring the legs 4 and 5 the same color so that they will blend into the background of the far side of the casing when an observer looks into one side to see the face 16 of the disk 1.

Electricity for the two motors 9 and 13 can be supplied by a wire 17 connected to the base 8. This wire can be connected by lead 18 to the motor 13 which is hidden in the mounting structure for the platform 12. It is necessary, however, to supply electricity to the upper motor 9 through an exposed lead 19 which can simply pass upward through the casing 7 at a location just inside its wall as unobtrusively as possible. This lead must be located far enough from the upright leg 5 of the axle so that the disk 1 can pass inwardly of such lead as the disk revolves in its orbit around the margin of the tumtable 3.

In FIGURE 3 a preferred construction of the disk 1, the horizontal leg 4 of the axle and the marginal portion of the turntable 3 are shown. The disk is shown as being mounted on the swinging end of the axle leg 4 so that the disk can turn relative to the horizontal leg in the manner of an idler, while the axle itself is dead. While the upper surface of the marginal portion of turntable 3 could be made of friction material, it is simpler to make the rim of the disk of friction material 2, so as to insure that the disk will be turned in rolling fashion as it is translated along the marginal portion of the turntable. Such rolling of the disk will insure that its outer surface will rotate about the axis of the horizontal axle leg 4. The outer side of the disk then, preferably, is covered with a facing 16 which will hide the end of the axle leg 4 as shown in FIGURE 3, to give the impression that the disk is not supported other than by its rim bearing on the diskengaging surface of the turntable 3.

A more compact arrangement of the support and driving mechanism for the disk 1 is shown in the modification of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5. Again, the disk 1 is mounted on the swinging end of the horizontal leg 4 of the elbow axle, but in this instance the upright leg 5' of such axle is turned downward instead of upward. Consequently, such upright leg passes through an aperture in the center of the turntable 3. In this instance, the turntable is supported by a hollow spindle 11 and the downturned leg 5 of the elbow axle extends through the bore of such spindle.

In this type of appartus, the turntable 3 is rotated in one direction and the upright leg 5' of the elbow axle is rotated in the opposite direction about the same axis by common drive means including the motor 13. While, as in the form of device shown in FIGURE 2, this motor drives reduction gearing 14 which turns the hollow turntable supporting spindle 11, such motor also drives a gear 10' which is in mesh with speed reduction gearing 10 that turns the upright leg 5' of the elbow dead axle for disk 1.

More specifically, the upright axle leg 5' is journaled in the turntable 3 by a bearing 11" and in the base 8'. The upper end of hollow spindle 11' is attached to the turntable to support and rotate it. The spindle 11, forming a sleeve encircling leg 5', is received in an aperture in the framework 8" aflixed to base 8' to prevent tilting of the spindle and leg.. The weight of the turntable is carried by the lower end of the hollow spindle bearing on the hub of one gear of the reduction gearing 10 secured to the upright leg 5'.

In this instance, again, the skirt 15 of the turntable will bear a legend in the form of a band and the motor 13' and reduction gearing 14 will turn the turntable 3 in the direction such that the peripheral skirt will move from the right to the left of an observer viewing the exterior of the skirt. By interposing an idler gear in the reduction gearing 10 meshing with the drive pinion 10' for such gearing, the upright leg 5 of the elbow axle will be rotated about the common axis of such leg and the hollow spindle 11 so that the disk 1 will be translated from the observers left to his night. Thus, the disk 1 will roll along the margin of the turntable 3 in the direction opposite that in which the margin of the turntable moves, as indicated by the directional arrows in FIGURE 4.

In the mechanism of FIGURES 6 and 7, the surface 3' engaged by the rim of disk 1 is not a turntable, but is stationary. Such surface is illustrated, for example, as the parapet of a building along which the disk rolls. Such building may, for example, be that of a bank, and if the face 16 of the disk bears indicia in the likeness of a coin, the impression on an observer will be that of a large coin rolling along the parapet of a bank building. While only one such disk is illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7, it will be apparent that a plurality of such disks could be provided rolling one after the other in succession.

In the device of FIGURES 6 and 7, the disk 1, again, is mounted on the end of a cantilever dead axle of elbow shape including the horizontal leg 4 and the downturned upright leg 5'. In this instance, however, the upright leg of the axle is not swiveled, but is mounted on a carriage 20, which is supported by wheels 21 rolling on a track surface 22 that parallels the disk-engaging surface 3'. Such carriage may be translated along the parapet disk-engaging surface 3 by a line 23 movable lengthwise which is attached to the carriage by rods 24. Such rods are secured to the line 23 at locations spaced lengthwise of it, as shown in FIGURE 7, and are bent to form axles for the wheels 21 of the carriage 20,

The drive line 23 for carriage 20 may be a cable which guidingly engages, particularly at the corners of the building, a guide pulley or pulleys 25. Preferably, the drive line turns through an arc of considerable radius at each corner and such an arc can be formed by arranging several guide pulleys at each corner to define short chords of a large circular quadrant between the adjacent pulleys. These pulleys are rotatively mounted by upright axles supported by a bracket 26 in positions spaced along a circular arc. The rods 24 are attached to the line 23 in a manner such that the rods can pass the guide pulleys.'

While such guide pulleys are shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 as being located only at the corners of the building, additional guide pulleys rotating either about horizontal axes or upright axes can be provided at spaced intervals along each side of the building if desired.

Lengthwise movement of the drive line is effected by an electric drive motor 27 supported from the building roof 28 and driving a speed reducer 29 which will rotate a line-engaging friction roller quite slowly. Cooperating with the friction roller 30 is another line-engaging roller 31, spring-pressed toward the roller 30 to form a pinchroller drive for the line 23. The speed of the motor 27, the type of speed reducer 29 and the size of friction roller 30 will be selected so that the line 23 will be driven lengthwise at the speed corresponding to the speed which it is desired to have the disk 1 roll along the parapet 3.

If the disk 1 shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 is to roll along the parapet of a building, the disk-supporting elbow axle 4, 5' and the carriage 20 and its drive mechanism will not be visible to an observer outside the building and below its roof 28. Consequently, to such an observer the disk 1 will appear to be free rolling. In some installations, however, it may be desirable to have the supporting and driving mechanism for the disk invisible from either side. Such an installation would be preferable where a rooftop disk can be viewed from adjacent higher buildings for example. In such cases, it may be desirable to provide supporting and driving mechanism for the disk such as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 for example.

In the device of FIGURES 8 and 9, instead of providing only a single disk 1, twin disks 1' are mounted in parallel coaxial arrangement on an axle 4 connecting them. The rims 2 of such twin disks roll on disk-engaging surfaces 3". Either such surfaces or the rims of the disks should be of friction material to insure substantially non-slipping contact between the disk rims and the diskengaging surfaces. Translation of the disks along the diskengaging surfaces is effected by movement of an upright leg 5" supporting the axle 4 and being movable along the disk-engaging surface.

The upright leg 5" supporting the axle 4 is secured to a drive line in the form of a roller chain 23' the length of which extends parallel to the length of the disk-engaging surfaces 3". As shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, the upright leg 5" may extend downward through a slot 32 between the disk-engaging surfaces 3" into a tunnel 33 in which the chain 23' is received. Such chain may be sup ported and guided by a channel track 34 in the bottom of such tunnel. This roller chain can be driven lengthwise by a drive sprocket engaged with it and rotated about an upright axis by suitable drive mechanism.

The roller chain 23' can, of course, be bent quite sharply about a line or lines parallel to the pins connecting the chain links. Consequently, by locating guide sprockets appropriately along the length of the roller chain and arranging the path of the channel track 34 correspondingly, the path along which the twin disks 1 roll can be altered as desired from location to location, such as to turn corners or turn continuously to form an orbital circuit along which such disks roll.

I claim as my invention:

1. A rotating display comprising a rotatable member bearing indicia, supporting means mounting said member for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, a surface engaged by a peripheral portion of said rotatable member, means effecting movement of said supporting means in one direction, and means effecting movement of said surface in the opposiie direction, the resulting relative movement of said supporting means and said surface causing said peripheral portion of said rotatable member to roll along said surface.

2. The rotating display defined in claim 1, in which the rotatable member is a disk and the supporting means includes a cantilever dead axle of elbow shape having a horizontal leg supporting said disk and an upright leg supporting said horizontal leg.

3. The display defined in claim 2, and drive means for turning the upright leg of the axle about its axis for effecting relative translation of the axle and the surface engaged by the disk.

4. The display defined in claim 3, in which the surface engaged by the disk. is a turntable bearing indicia on its periphery and means rotating said turntable about an axis coinciding with the axis of the upright axle leg.

5. The display defined in claim 4, in which the means turning the upright leg of the axle moves the horizontal leg of the axle in the direction opposite the direction of rotation of the turntable.

6. The display defined in claim 5, in which common drive means effect turning of the upright leg of the: axle to move the horizontal leg in one direction and to rotate the turntable in the opposite direction at substantially the same speed.

7. A rotating display comprising a rotatable disk bearing indicia, a cantilever dead axle of elbow shape having a horizontal leg rotatively supporting said disk and an upright leg supporting said horizontal leg, a disk-engaging surface engaged by the rim of said disk, and moving means effecting alternately translation and swinging of said axles horizontal leg relative to said disk-engaging surface, such movement of said horizontal leg causing said disk to roll along said disk-engaging surface.

8. The display defined in claim 7, in which the upright leg is mounted on a carriage to translate the horizontal leg of the axle relative to the disk-engaging surface.

9. The display defined in claim 8, in which the drive means moves the carriage and includes a drive line guide means guiding said drive line for lengthwise movement along the path of travel of the carriage, and power means for effecting such lengthwise movement of the line.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,039,615 6/1962 Uihlein et al. 40-33 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 1,167,643 4/ 1964 Germany.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. H. GRIEB, Examiner. 

